Senior center plans on hold

Published 2:21 pm, Friday, April 22, 2016

BAD AXE— Officials have announced plans to transform the former Davenport University facility and grounds into a senior center now are on hold.

“Davenport is now somewhat in the air,” said Huron County Commissioner Steve Vaughan, who chairs the Properties Committee, during the board’s meeting of the whole Tuesday.

The board of commissioners had a resolution on the agenda of the regular meeting that followed the meeting of the whole that would authorize Commissioner Chairman Ron Wruble to sign an agreement to purchase the former Davenport University property from the City of Bad Axe at a cost of $235,000, along with the warranty deed of the property containing the ballfields and log cabin museum located south of the Huron County Building.

However, commissioners pulled the resolution after it was learned the Bad Axe City Council did not approve the agreement during a special meeting it held Monday for the purpose of approving the purchase agreement.

While the minutes from Bad Axe City Council’s special meeting Monday were not available as of press time Wednesday, city officials said the board did approve the agreement, with an amendment to include the property next to the library that is known as the city park in the land swap with the county.

County commissioners expressed dissatisfaction with council’s decision Monday, stating the move has put things on hold as Huron County Corporation Counsel Stephen J. Allen is not available to review the changes until the end of the month.

“That sort of throws a big wrench in the operation,” Wruble said, noting the board of commissioners had no indication the city wanted to include that additional parcel of land in the purchase agreement.

“This just isn’t right,” added Commissioner Kurt Damrow, noting the city threw this in at the last minute.

“It’s an awful slap in the face to Huron County seniors,” Vaughan agreed.

But city officials say it was council’s intention all along that the park next to the library be included in the agreement.

“Council’s intention was that the property was included from the beginning,” said Bad Axe Councilman Dave Rapson. “ … I don’t think it should be construed that we’re trying to get more as we’re coming around to the end (of closing).”

Rapson said city council has asked “over and over” to have the park included in the deal. He said he made a motion to include the park land in the memorandum of understanding council approved during the board’s July 6 meeting.

He said there was a misunderstanding, however, and the language never was added in the memorandum of understanding which was signed by Bad Axe City Manager John Nugent.

Nugent said the council never approved a motion or resolution to include the land in the deal. He said because he only is authorized to proceed in these matters as council dictates through motions and resolutions, he followed the direction of council in previous minutes. Also, he said, council saw the memorandum of understanding before it was signed and did not bring the matter up. Council also saw minutes from previous meetings regarding Rapson’s motion. That motion, according to the July 6 meeting minutes, approved the memorandum of understanding between the county and city, provided “the ownership of the city park on the east side of Hanselman Street be researched.”

So, the county did research the ownership of the area, fulfilling Rapson’s motion, Nugent said.

Rapson maintains there was a misunderstanding, and the council fully expected the city park to be included. As is, the city has used and maintained the land for years, he said.

“It’s really the city’s park, it can only be used by the city,” he said, noting having the land deeded to the city will prevent issues that have cropped up in the past regarding the area being owned by the county, but used and maintained by the city. “Whether the city owns it or the county owns it, it’s still the park — it’s dedicated for that purpose. It’s just a matter of cleaning up some paper work.”

Bad Axe Mayor Bill Cleland said this misunderstanding will not prevent the city and county from reaching an agreement on the Davenport University sale and land exchange.

“There’s a problem from the city council’s point — they’re assuming a lot of things are taking place, and none of them will make a motion,” he said. “Every government body acts on resolutions and motions. A lot of assumptions would include the city park next to the library, but when the resolution got brought up (during Monday’s special meeting), it had just the ballfields. So, council asked for clarification, and in doing so, stopped it (the deal).”

Cleland said he is very upset with the situation because everything has been “literally brought to a standstill.”

“All I can do is run a meeting, I can’t make a motion or move it forward,” he said.

Meanwhile, Cleland said the city is paying for utilities and maintenance at the Davenport University buildings and grounds, which is located at 150 Nugent Road, and was gifted to the City of Bad Axe in October 2008, after council agreed to pay the donor, Norman C. VanWormer, $100,000 in consulting fees over the next 10 years.

Cleland said in no way was it council’s intention, during the board’s special meeting Monday, to slip in another piece of property for the city in the deal at the last minute.

“It can be misconstrued as that, (but) it was not meant to do that,” he said. “ … We don’t want the seniors held up, and we don’t want the building.”

Now, it’s in the county’s ball court, Cleland noted.

“Our resolution was not meant to derail anything last night, but by virtue of asking the question (of including the park property in the agreement), and Steve Allen not being available, it did derail it,” Cleland said in an interview Tuesday afternoon.

“I feel bad because the seniors are the ones being held up,” he added.